VILLA-ROJO: Orchestral Music

Born in 1940, Jesús Villa-Rojo has become one of the most progressive and influential composers working in Spain. His catalogue of compositions includes symphonic, chamber and instrumental music, the present disc being a cross-section of his output. Concierto 2 for cello and orchestra retains the traditional virtuoso solo role, while the concept of the concerto is progressed to meet the mood of the late 20th century. Cantor con Federico pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the death of the famous Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, Villa-Rojo using his poems in a text-sound amalgam, exploiting the inherent musicality in Lorca's word-patterns. In modernistic terms, the Passacaglia and Septet display Villa-Rojo's skilful and imaginative use of sound linked with his involvement in electronic music.